Phlox plant named ‘Peppermint Twist’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phlox  plant named ‘Peppermint Twist’, characterized by its upright and compact plant habit; freely basally branching habit and relatively short internodes; dense and bushy growth habit; attractive red purple and white bi-colored flowers; freely and continuous flowering habit; resistance to Powdery Mildew; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phlox paniculata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Peppermint Twist’.

REFERENCED APPLICATIONS

Phlox Plant Named ‘Candy Floss’; Jan Verschoor, applicant; filed concurrently (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/454,068).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox, botanically known as Phlox paniculata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Peppermint Twist’.

The new Phlox is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phlox paniculata cultivar ‘Candy Floss’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 11/454,068. The new Phlox was discovered and selected by the Inventor in a controlled environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phlox by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Haarlem, The Netherlands since August, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Phlox are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Peppermint Twist has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Peppermint Twist’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Peppermint Twist’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Phlox:

-   -   1. Upright and compact plant habit.     -   2. Freely basally branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.     -   3. Attractive red purple and white bi-colored flowers.     -   4. Freely and continuous flowering habit.     -   5. Resistant to Powdery Mildew.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phlox and the parent, the cultivar ‘Candy Floss’, differ primarily in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Phlox can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Little Princess, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,742. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Haarlem, The Netherlands, plants of the new Phlox and the cultivar Little Princess differed primarily in flower color as plants of the cultivar Little Princess had pink-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Phlox were more resistant to Powdery Mildew than plants of the cultivar Little Princess.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phlox, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phlox.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Peppermint Twist’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Peppermint Twist’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Haarlem, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 18° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10° C. to 18° C. Plants were grown for about one year when the photograph and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phlox paniculata cultivar ‘Peppermint     Twist’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of the Phlox     paniculata cultivar ‘Candy Floss’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent     application Ser. No. 11/454,068. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted plant.—About four weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine; white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and compact plant habit; inverted             triangle; moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely basally             branching habit; dense and bushy growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 41 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 33 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 23.2 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 2.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 8.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 3 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptic.         -   Apex.—Apiculate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Finely serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: 143A. Developing             leaves, lower surface: 143B to 143C. Fully expanded leaves,             upper surface: Slightly darker than 139A; venation, 144B to             144C. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 137B to 137C;             venation, 144B to 144C.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: 144A to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rotate and salverform flowers             arranged in terminal panicles; flowers face upright and             outward. Panicles conical in shape. Freely flowering habit             with about 150 flower buds and flowers per inflorescence.         -   Fragrance.—Fragrant; sweet.         -   Natural flowering season.—Continuously flowering from July             through August in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Flowers not             persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the             plant.         -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 4.5 mm.             Shape: Elliptic. Color: 155C; towards the apex, 68D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 17.8 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 18.1 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 3.6 cm.         -   Flower depth.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl; petals fused at the base into a narrow tube. Length:             About 3.4 cm. Lobe width: About 1.8 cm. Shape: Spatulate.             Apex: Retuse. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully             expanded petals, upper surface: 58B to 58C; towards the             margins, 155C, about 4 mm in width; throat, N77B. With             development, color becoming closer to 62A; towards the             margins, 155C, about 4 mm in width; throat, N77B. Developing             and fully expanded petals, lower surface: 62A; towards the             margins, 155C, about 4 mm in width; throat, N77B to N77D.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five in a single             whorl, fused; narrow tubular calyx. Length: About 1 cm.             Width: About 1.5 mm. Calyx shape: Campanulate. Apex:             Narrowly apiculate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, developing sepals, upper             and lower surfaces: Towards the base, 144B; towards the             apex, 146A to 147A. Color, fully expanded sepals, upper and             lower surfaces: Towards the base, 144B; towards the apex,             146A to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 12.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Angle: Erect to about 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.             Angle: About 25° to about 50° from vertical. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146A to 146B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically             five; fused with petals in tube. Filament length: About             2 mm. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 1 mm.             Anther color: 5D. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 5D to             6D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About             2.1 cm. Stigma shape: Three-parted. Stigma color: 150D.             Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: 150C. Ovary color:             143A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phlox have been noted to     be resistant to Powdery Mildew. Plants of the new Phlox have not     been noted to be resistant to other pathogens and pests common to     Phlox. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phlox have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and are winter     hardy in The Netherlands. 

1. A new and distinct Phlox plant named ‘Peppermint Twist’ as illustrated and described. 